Combination cup sleeve and plug assembly

ABSTRACT

A Combination Cup Sleeve and Plug Assembly is disclosed. Also disclosed is a combination that includes an insulating sleeve for disposable beverage containers, as well as a detachable plug for the dispensing aperture formed in the lid of the container and a lanyard interconnecting the two. The sleeve is provided in a variety of durable, aesthetically pleasing, non-disposable forms. The plug is configured to be insertible into the dispensing aperture of the cup and should be made either from semi-precious or low cost materials, depending upon the target market. The plug further has a portion for displaying trademarks and/or identifying indicia thereon. The sleeve may further include a holder for retaining the plug therein when the plug is not in use for plugging the dispensing aperture. The lanyard is a detachable member made from cord, chain or other material that interconnects the plug and the sleeve. In an alternate embodiment, the plug is detachably clipped to the insulating sleeve. Also, the insulating sleeve is formed from a pair of juxtaposed sheets of material, an inner conducted thermal-energy suppressive member and an outer radiated thermal-energy reflective (i.e. suppressive) member. The inner surface of the outer member is likely to be made from a reflective material, while the outer surface of the outer member is likely to be a vinyl or other material to permit the imprinting of indicia thereon, and so that the indicia will be permanently and attractively affixed thereto.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.10/824,885, filed Apr. 15, 2004, now pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to accessories for beverage containersand, more specifically, to a Combination Cup Sleeve and Plug Assembly.

2. Description of Related Art

Boutique coffee shops (and large chain coffee shops) have grownexponentially in popularity. As with many growing industries, the growthof the coffee shop industry has resulted in the introduction of many newproducts related to the core product (i.e. coffee). One particularlypopular product that has experienced significant evolutionary steps as aresult of the popularity of the coffee shop industry is that of thedisposable cup. FIG. 1 depicts a design for a disposable cup that is nowused widely in this industry.

A common design for the disposable beverage container 10 used by coffeeshops today has a container 10 made from cardboard or otherpaper-related product. For safety to prevent spilling, there is adisposable lid 12 that snaps onto a lip formed at the upper rim of thecontainer 10. The lid 12 is defined by an upper lid rim 14 and a lowerlid rim 16; the lower rim 16 has a groove formed in it that cooperateswith the lip formed in the rim of the container 10. A dispensingaperture 18 is disposed on the top of the upper lid rim 14. Thisaperture 18 is typically rectangular in shape with rounded corners (atleast for one or two particularly large chain coffee shop company'sproduct). Because the coffee products provided to the consumer in thesecontainers 10 is typically very hot, even to the touch, a very usefulaccessory was developed—the insulating sleeve 20.

While these sleeves 20 can come in a variety of different materials andstyles, one predominant style is depicted in FIG. 1. This insulatingsleeve 20 is formed from a rectangular strip of corrugated cardboard.Near each end 24A and 24B of the strip of cardboard a partial cut 22Aand 22B has been made in the strip—one cut 22A leading from the bottomedge of the strip and reaching just past the centerline of the strip,and one cut 22B leading from the top edge of the strip and reaching justpast the centerline of the strip. To form the strip into a sleeve 20,the sales person simply slides the two partial cuts 22 into one anothersuch that they interlock to form a closed sleeve 20. The sleeve 20 isthen slipped over the bottom of the beverage container 10 so that isprotects the customer's hand from being burned by the hot liquid in thecup.

These disposable insulating sleeves 20 are very effective at theirfunctional purpose, but they are lacking in at least two areas—aestheticappeal and spill prevention. While the user's hand is well protectedagainst burns from the hot cup 10, there is nothing to prevent the userfrom spilling coffee out of the aperture 18 (which typically does nothave a cover). What is needed, then is a device or assembly that notonly protects the user's hand against burns from heat transfer throughthe wall of the container 10, but also provides a way to preventspilling out through the aperture 18. It would also be very beneficialif this device or assembly was designed and made from materials thatmade it more aesthetically pleasing than the prior sleeves 20. Also,most sleeves are designed from low-cost materials (either paper orcardboard) to meet a disposability objective. It would be beneficial ifthere were a sleeve that incorporated a higher quality material in orderto improve aesthetics, provide reusability, as well as potentiallyproviding superior thermal insulating qualities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the priordevices and assemblies, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a Combination Cup Sleeve and Plug Assembly. The combinationshould include an insulating sleeve for disposable beverage containers,as well as a detachable plug for the dispensing aperture formed in thelid of the container and a lanyard interconnecting the two. The sleeveshould be provided in a variety of durable, aesthetically pleasing,non-disposable forms. The plug should be configured to be insertibleinto the dispensing aperture of the cup and should be made either fromsemi-precious or low cost materials. The plug should further have asurface for displaying trademarks and/or identifying indicia thereon.The sleeve should further include a holder for the plug when the plug isnot in use for plugging the dispensing aperture. The lanyard should be adetachable member (from the plug) made from cord, chain or othermaterial that will interconnect the plug and the sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed tobe novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Thepresent invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation,together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional insulatingsleeve and disposable cup assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the sleeve andplug assembly of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top and bottom views, respectively, with the sleeveof the assembly of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4A-4D are side, back, top and bottom views of the plug of theassembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIGS. 2-4 attached to aconventional disposable cup;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIGS. 2-5 having theplug stowed in the pocket;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the sleeve andplug assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded front view of the insulating sleeve of theassembly of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the resilient fastener of the assemblyof FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the plug pocket assembly of theassembly of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, since the generic principles of the present invention have beendefined herein specifically to provide a Combination Cup Sleeve and PlugAssembly.

The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration ofFIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of thesleeve and plug assembly 30 of the present invention. The assembly 30 iscomposed of three major components: The insulating sleeve 32, the plug34, and the lanyard 36 detachably interconnecting the two. The sleeve 32forms a cup chamber 40 to accept the conventional beverage container(see FIG. 1) therein. One very unique aspect of this sleeve 32 over theprior art, however, is the plug pocket 38 for holding the plug 34therein when it is not being used to plug the dispensing aperture (seeFIG. 1). If we now turn to FIGS. 3A and 3B, we can discuss thesecomponents in more detail.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are top and bottom views, respectively, with the sleeve32 of the assembly of FIG. 2. The sleeve 32 is typically formed with anouter layer 46 and an inner layer 44 connected to one another, such asby the stitching shown in FIG. 2. There may also be an intermediatelayer sandwiched between these inner and outer layers 44 and 46 foradditional insulation. At least the outer layer 46 is preferably madefrom a durable, flexible, washable and aesthetically pleasing material.One favored material is burlap, used to simulate the look and feel of abag of coffee beans. In other forms, the material could be velvet orfine leather, or other fine quality materials. The eyelet 48A is shownhere as a small loop extending from one portion of the sleeve 32 wherethe lanyard (see FIG. 2) can be attached. The eyelet 48A may also be aloop or pair of holes formed in the sleeve 32, or from otherconventional attachment devices.

Extending from the front side of the sleeve 32 is an additional storagesleeve or pocket, referred to herein as the plug pocket 38. The plugpocket 38 is generally made from a flap of the same material as theouter layer 46 attached to the outside of the outer layer 46 in such away as to form a receptacle for the plug (see FIG. 2). In this version,the plug pocket has an upper opening 50 and a lower opening 54; thepocket 38 is designed to cooperate with the plug (see FIG. 2) so thatthe plug (see FIG. 2) can be slipped therein through the upper pocketopening 50. If we now turn to FIGS. 4A-4D, we can examine anotherelement of this novel assembly.

FIGS. 4A-4D are side, back, top and bottom views of the plug 34 of theassembly of FIG. 2. The body 56 of the plug 34 is preferably made from adurable, possibly valuable material, such as silver or gold (or platedin these metals); of course plastic and other materials are also to beprovided. The body 56 is formed having smooth chamfered edges 70 on allfour vertical edges (vertical in FIGS. 4A and 4B), as well as allhorizontal surfaces (i.e. where the vertical surfaces meet the head 58and tip 60). The plug 34 is tapered in from the head 58 to the tip 60 sothat it will seat into the dispensing aperture (see FIG. 1) until a sealis formed between the walls of the plug 34 and the edges of the aperture(see FIG. 1). As such, the front face 64 and back face 62 are bothtapered in from top to bottom, and the first and second side faces 66Aand 66B are also tapered in from top to bottom. In other versions, theplug 34 may be provided in different cross-sectional shapes (i.e.circular, square) to accommodate differently shaped dispensingapertures. Furthermore, the plug 34 may be partially or completelycoated with rubberized or plastic material in order to provide a moreliquid-tight seal between the dispensing aperture (see FIG. 1) and theplug 34.

In order to provide added aesthetic appeal, one or more indicia may beengraved or otherwise displayed or etched to the body 56 of the plug 34;in this embodiment, the indicia 68 is inscribed on the back face 62(opposite the eyelet 48B). One exemplary indicia is that of the coffeeshop company's logo or name.

The eyelet 48B is preferably formed as an integral part of the body 56in order to insure the security of its attachment to the lanyard 36,however, this does not preclude possible manufacturing costconsiderations dictating other approaches. The lanyard 36 is shown hereas a jewelry-grade chain that interconnects the plug 34 with the sleeve(see FIG. 2). One or both ends of the lanyard 36 may be provided with aclasp, hook or other attachment means that permits the lanyard 36 to bedetached from the plug 34 and/or sleeve (see FIG. 2). In other versions,the lanyard 36 may be made from wire, cord or other durable, yetflexible materials that are conventional for tethering two devicestogether. FIG. 5 shows how the whole assembly functions with the plug(see FIG. 2) inserted into the dispensing aperture (see FIG. 1).

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembly 30 of FIGS. 2-4 attached toa conventional disposable cup 10. When the user wishes to plug theaperture 18, such as when the container 10 has been filled with hotliquid, he or she need simply to remove the plug 34 from its convenientstorage location in the plug pocket 38, and then insert the tip into theaperture 18, allowing the plug 34 to drop down until a snug fit existsbetween the aperture 18 and the plug 34. As shown, the user's hand isthermally protected from the hot sides of the container 10 by theinsulating qualities of the sleeve 32, as well as being protected fromspillage of hot liquid through the aperture 18. Of course, the sleeve 32also provides an improved grip for the user to more securely grasp thebeverage container 10. FIG. 6 depicts the assembly 30 with the plug 34being stored in the plug pocket 38.

Having completed the review of a first set of embodiments of the presentinvention, we shall now turn to a second preferred embodiment. FIG. 7 isa perspective view of a second embodiment of the sleeve and plugassembly 30A of the present invention. This embodiment has five mainelements: the insulating sleeve 32A, the plug pocket assembly 118, theresilient fastener 104, the plug 34, and the lanyard 31.

The insulating sleeve 32A of this embodiment has two distinct members,the outer sheath member 102 and the inner sheath member 100. The twomembers 100 and 102 have individualized physical properties that causethem to function very well together as a “sandwich.” The outer sheathmember 102 is configured to be durable and readily able to acceptpermanent indicia inscriptions, such as by screen printing or otherconventional means, while its laminated layers provide additionaldesired thermal characteristics with respect to radiated thermal energy,which will be elaborated upon in subsequent paragraphs. The inner sheathmember 100, is quite different from the outer sheath member in that it'smaterial of construction provides the predominant thermal insulationproperties; it will, therefore protect a user's hand from being burned,or scalded by hot liquid held in a cup within the sleeve 32A, while atthe same time insulating the hot beverage in order to prolong theduration that the beverage remains at elevated temperatures.

As will be discussed more fully below, the sleeve 32A is made from flatsheet(s) of material that is then formed into a conical shape, with theopposing ends being held together by a resilient fastener 104. Theresilient fastener 104 has a plurality of arms 106 extending from itthat are configured to slip through slots formed in the sheets making upthe insulating sleeve 32A. Once passing through the slots, the arms 106attach to one another to retain the ends of the inner and outer sheathmembers 100 and 102 together.

The plug pocket assembly 118 is configured to removably clip onto theinsulating sleeve 32A, such that the assembly 118 can be made separately(and potentially from a different material) than the sleeve 32A. Thelanyard 36 attaches to the assembly 118 to interconnect the assembly 118and the plug 34. A pocket 38A is provided by the assembly 118 forstorage of the plug 34 as discussed previously within this disclosure.Now turning to FIG. 8, we can continue to examine this alternateembodiment.

FIG. 8 is an exploded front view of the insulating sleeve 32A of theassembly of FIG. 7. The inner sheath member 100 is formed from amaterial that, by its nature, is an effective insulator againstconductive heat transfer. One desirable choice is polyester feltmaterial, but other [pressed, woven, etc.] materials of similarproperties are likely also to be suitable. The inner sheath member 100is defined by curved upper and lower edges and substantially straightopposing ends. As should be apparent, the sheath member 100 willtransform into a conical shape when the opposing ends are aligned nextto one another in application.

Adjacent to the opposing ends, a plurality of slots 110 are cut throughthe material of the sheath member 100. As discussed above, the slots 110are provided to allow the arms of the resilient fastener to pass throughfor assembly.

The outer sheath member 102 is shaped substantially the same as theinner sheath member 100, such that the outer perimeters and slots 110align closely with one another when the two sheaths are juxtaposed. Theouter sheath 102 is made from material that serves at least twofunctions: first, it provides a durable outer display layer 108 uponwhich labeling or other indicia can be imprinted; next, it has an innerradiant thermal-energy barrier layer 106 that inhibits radiant heattransfer. A preferred material choice to provide these features is toemploy a vinyl-coated [outer surface] aluminized mylar [inner surface]fabric that has been laminated into a single sheet of material. Ifpossible, in fact, it would be desirable to attach the outer sheath 102and the inner sheath 100 into a single laminated sheet. The 2-sheathapproach can be improved by providing sections of the hook portion of ahook-and-loop fastener material on the inner surface of the outer sheathmember 102. These sections of the hook portion of hook-and-loop fastenerwill actually interlock with the felt material from which the innersheath member 100 is made to prevent the two layers from easily comingapart or moving independently of one another. We will now turn to FIG. 9to examine the structure of another element in this new design.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the resilient fastener 104 of theassembly of FIG. 7. The resilient fastener 104 is a unique device thatprovides a low-cost, attractive way to assemble the plug and sleeveassembly. The fastener 104 has a bridge section 112 configured to extendsubstantially from the upper curved edge of the sleeve to the lowercurved edge of the sleeve. Along the length of the bridge section 112,arms (or fastener tabs) 106A-106F extend outwardly in spaced relation.The arms 106 are designed to fit through the slots provided along theheight [vertical edge] of the ends of the sheaths.

The arms, e.g. 106C and 106F are aligned as pairs so that once arm 106Cpasses through its corresponding slots in the sheaths, and once arm 106Fpasses through its associated slots in the other end of the sheaths, theends of the arms 106C and 106F can fold over one another (see FIG. 7).The back surface 114 and the front surface 116 of the resilient fastener(or at least the arms 106) are composed of, or covered with opposite(i.e. interlock compatible, which may be unisex) portions ofhook-and-loop fastener material (e.g. the hook portion covers that backsurface 114, and the loop portion covers the front surface 116), suchthat when the ends of arms 106C and 106F (for example) are overlapped,they will releasibly hold onto one another. In this fashion, theopposing ends of the sheaths will be held together to form aconically-shaped insulating sleeve as depicted in FIG. 7. Finallyturning to FIG. 10, we can examine the final component involved in thisalternate embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the plug pocket assembly 118 of theassembly of FIG. 7. Rather than being integrated with the sleeve (asdescribed in FIGS. 2-6), the plug pocket 38A is associated with anassembly 118 that clips over the sleeve. The clip 120 is preferably madefrom very thin, yet fairly strong material that allows it to be clippedover the upper edge of the insulating sleeve (see FIG. 7) without havinga negative effect on the aesthetics of the sleeve. The current materialof choice for the assembly is plastic, however, it is expected that theassembly 118 could be made from a variety of other materials. Finally,an eyelet mount 122 extends from the assembly 118 to provide anattachment location for the lanyard (see FIG. 7)

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations andmodifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can beconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

1. A sleeve and plug assembly, comprising: a plug; a plug pocketconfigured to accept said plug within a receptacle formed therein; aninsulating sleeve; and a lanyard interconnecting said plug and saidsleeve.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve forms a cupchamber defined at its ends by a top sleeve opening and a bottom sleeveopening.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said sleeve is defined byan outer sheath member and an inner sheath member, said outer and innersheath members juxtaposed to one another.
 4. The assembly of claim 3,wherein said sleeve and said plug each further comprise attachment meansfor attaching said lanyard thereto.
 5. The assembly of claim 4, whereinsaid lanyard comprises a chain of links interconnected.
 6. The assemblyof claim 5, wherein said sleeve is further defined by an inner sheathmember is made from a material selected from a group of lowthermal-conductivity or insulating materials.
 7. The assembly of claim6, wherein said outer sheath member comprises an innerradiant-thermal-energy barrier layer and an outer display layer.
 8. Theassembly of claim 1, further comprising a plug pocket assembly, saidplug pocket assembly comprising said plug pocket and a sleeve-mountingclip extending therefrom.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said plugpocket defines an elongate, substantially cylindrical receptacle havinga top opening that is configured to accept an end of said plug therein,and said clip has a thin elongate finger extending downwardly generallyparallel to a wall of said cylindrical receptacle.
 10. An accessory forbeverage containers, said containers defining a cylindrical cup having aslightly tapered shape and a lip defined by a dispensing aperture,comprising: a plug; a plug pocket assembly defining a plug pocket, saidpocket configured to accept said plug within a receptacle formedtherein; an insulating sleeve, said plug pocket assembly detachablyattachable to said insulating sleeve; and a lanyard interconnecting saidplug and said sleeve.
 11. The accessory of claim 10, wherein sleevecomprises a cup chamber having a top opening and a bottom opening, saidcup chamber shaped to cooperate with said cup to fit thereover.
 12. Theaccessory of claim 11, wherein said plug is shaped to cooperate withsaid dispensing aperture whereby said plug is accepted partially withinsaid dispensing aperture.
 13. The accessory of claim 12, wherein saiddispensing aperture defines a generally rectangular shape having roundedcorners, and said plug defines a cross section that cooperates with saidaperture shape.
 14. The accessory of claim 13, wherein said insulatingsleeve is formed from a pair of juxtaposed sheath members, each saidsheath member defined by opposing ends and a plurality of slots formedtherethrough adjacent to said opposing ends, said accessory furthercomprising: a resilient fastener for interconnecting said opposingsheath member ends.
 15. The accessory of claim 14, wherein saidresilient fastener comprises: a bridge section; at least one pair ofopposing arms extending from opposing edges of said bridge section; andwherein said fastener defines a front surface from which extend fabrichooks and said fastener further defines a rear surface from which extendfabric loops, said hooks and loops configured to releasibly attach toone another.
 16. The accessory of claim 15, comprising at least two saidpairs of arms in spaced relation cooperative with spacing of said slotsin said opposing ends of said sheaths, whereby said arms are insertiblethrough said slots.
 17. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said displaylayer and said radiant-thermal-energy barrier layer are laminated into asingle composite member.
 18. The accessory of claim 14, wherein saidresilient fastener comprises: a bridge section; at least one pair ofopposing arms extending from opposing edges of said bridge section; andwherein said fastener defines a front surface and a rear surface andunisex fastener means for fastening to itself dispersed on said frontand rear surfaces.